Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Body Image, Enhancement, and Health in the Advertising of Sports and Nutritional Supplements

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Chemically Modified Bodies

  • 593 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter explores the demand for dietary supplements as an example of the emerging cultural desire to maximize health and wellbeing. This is not to say that there is an inevitable trend towards what might be called physical and cognitive enhancement in society. Instead, it is to argue that concerns over body image and appearance are the physical and visual manifestations of deeper societal trends towards self-care and, conversely, a growing intolerance of imperfections in health and appearance. Dietary supplements offer a commercial outlet for these societal trends which ultimately place the responsibility for health and wellbeing on the individual rather than society.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agliata, D., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2004). The impact of media exposure on males’ body image. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 7–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander, S. M. (2003). Stylish hard bodies: Branded masculinity in Men’s Health magazine. Sociological Perspectives, 46(4), 535–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, R. L., Gahche, J. J., Lentino, C. V., Dwyer, J. T., Engel, J. S., Thomas, P. R., et al. (2011). Dietary supplement use in the United States, 2003–2006. The Journal of Nutrition, 141(2), 261–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banjo, O. C., Nadler, R., & Reiner, P. B. (2010). Physician attitudes towards pharmacological cognitive enhancement: Safety concerns are paramount. PLoS One, 5(12), e14322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bent, S. (2008). Herbal medicine in the United States: Review of efficacy, safety, and regulation. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(6), 854–859.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blond, A. (2008). Impacts of exposure to images of ideal bodies on male body dissatisfaction: A review. Body Image, 5(3), 244–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, L. E., Cohen, J. B., & Bloom, P. N. (2006). Does marketing products as remedies create “get out of jail free cards”? Journal of Consumer Research, 33(1), 71–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, L. E., Reed II, A., Volpp, K. G., & Armstrong, K. (2008). How does drug and supplement marketing affect a healthy lifestyle? Journal of Consumer Research, 34(5), 713–726.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bostrom, N., & Sandberg, A. (2009). Cognitive enhancement: Methods, ethics, regulatory challenges. Science and Engineering Ethics, 15(3), 311–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botta, R. A. (2003). For your health? The relationship between magazine reading and adolescents’ body image and eating disturbances. Sex Roles, 48(9–10), 389–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunton, R. (1997). Popular health, advanced liberalism and good housekeeping magazine. In R. Bunton & A. Petersen (Eds.), Foucault, health and medicine. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cakic, V. (2009). Smart drugs for cognitive enhancement: Ethical and pragmatic considerations in the era of cosmetic neurology. Journal of Medical Ethics, 35(10), 611–615.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawshaw, P. (2007). Governing the healthy male citizen: Men, masculinity and popular health in Men’s Health magazine. Social Science & Medicine, 65(8), 1606–1618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cusumano, D. L., & Thompson, J. K. (1997). Body image and body shape ideals in magazines: Exposure, awareness, and internalization. Sex Roles, 37(9), 701–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dascombe, B. J., Karunaratna, M., Cartoon, J., Fergie, B., & Goodman, C. (2010). Nutritional supplementation habits and perceptions of elite athletes within a state-based sporting institute. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13(2), 274–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLorme, D. E., Huh, J., Reid, L. N., & An, S. (2012). Dietary supplement advertising in the US. International Journal of Advertising, 31(3), 547–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson, A., Blatman, J., El-Dash, N., & Franco, J. C. (2014). Consumer usage and reasons for using dietary supplements: Report of a series of surveys. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 33(2), 176–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dworkin, S. L., & Wachs, F. L. (2009). Body panic: Gender, health, and the selling of fitness. New York: NYU Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Field, A. E., Austin, S. B., Camargo, C. A., Taylor, C. B., Striegel-Moore, R. H., Loud, K. J., et al. (2005). Exposure to the mass media, body shape concerns, and use of supplements to improve weight and shape among male and female adolescents. Pediatrics, 116(2), e214–e220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forlini, C., & Racine, E. (2009). Autonomy and coercion in academic “cognitive enhancement” using methylphenidate: Perspectives of key stakeholders. Neuroethics, 2(3), 163–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gahche, J., Bailey, R., Burt, V., Hughes, J., Yetley, E., Dwyer, J., et al. (2011). Dietary supplement use among US adults has increased since NHANES III (1988–1994). NCHS Data Brief, 61, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Alvarez, A., Egan, B., de Klein, S., Dima, L., Maggi, F. M., Isoniemi, M., et al. (2014). Usage of plant food supplements across six european countries: Findings from the Plant LIBRA Consumer Survey. PloS One, 9(3), e92265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gough, B. (2006). Try to be healthy, but don’t forgo your masculinity: Deconstructing men’s health discourse in the media. Social Science & Medicine, 63(9), 2476–2488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greely, H., Sahakian, B., Harris, J., Kessler, R. C., Gazzaniga, M., Campbell, P., et al. (2008). Towards responsible use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by the healthy. Nature, 456(7223), 702–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, D. A., & Tiggemann, M. (2004). Idealized media images and adolescent body image: “Comparing” boys and girls. Body Image, 1(4), 351–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatoum, I. J., & Belle, D. (2004). Mags and abs: Media consumption and bodily concerns in men. Sex Roles, 51(7–8), 397–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hemphill, D. (2009). Performance enhancement and drug control in sport: Ethical considerations. Sport in Society, 12(3), 313–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, S., & Petersen, A. R. (Eds.) (2002). Consuming health: The commodification of health care. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hotze, T. D., Shah, K., Anderson, E. E., & Wynia, M. K. (2011). “Doctor, would you prescribe a pill to help me…?” A national survey of physicians on using medicine for human enhancement. American Journal of Bioethics, 11(1), 3–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kayser, B., Mauron, A., & Miah, A. (2007). Current anti-doping policy: A critical appraisal. BMC medical ethics, 8(1), 2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labre, M. P. (2005). The male body ideal: Perspectives of readers and non-readers of fitness magazines. Journal of Men’s Health and Gender, 2(2), 223–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larriviere, D., Williams, M. A., Rizzo, M., & Bonnie, R. J. (2009). Responding to requests from adult patients for neuroenhancements: Guidance of the Ethics, Law and Humanities Committee. Neurology, 73(17), 1406–1412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucke, J., & Partridge, B. (2013). Towards a smart population: A public health framework for cognitive enhancement. Neuroethics, 6(2), 419–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marik, P. E., & Flemmer, M. (2012). Do dietary supplements have beneficial health effects in industrialized nations what is the evidence? Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 36(2), 159–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, M. J., & Scammon, D. L. (2000). Health claims and disclaimers: extended boundaries and research opportunities in consumer interpretation. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 19(1), 144–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, M. J., & Scammon, D. L. (2011). Unintended consequences of health supplement information regulations: The importance of recognizing consumer motivations. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 45(2), 201–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, S. E., Knight, J. R., Teter, C. J., & Wechsler, H. (2005). Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college students: Prevalence and correlates from a national survey. Addiction, 100(1), 96–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miah, A. (2007). Genetics, bioethics and sport. Sports, Ethics and Philosophy, 1(2), 146–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, W. J. (2009). Athletic perfection, performance-enhancing drugs, and the treatment-enhancement distinction. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 36(2), 162–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morry, M. M., & Staska, S. L. (2001). Magazine exposure: Internalization, self-objectification, eating attitudes, and body satisfaction in male and female university students. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 33(4), 269–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P., & Waddington, I. (1998). Sport for all: Some public health policy issues and problems. Critical Public Health, 8(3), 193–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nichter, M., & Thompson, J. J. (2006). For my wellness, not just my illness: North Americans’ use of dietary supplements. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 30(2), 175–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Outram, S. M. (2013). Discourses of performance enhancement: Can we separate performance enhancement from performance enhancing drug use? Performance Enhancement & Health, 2(3), 94–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parens, E. (1998). Is better always good?: The enhancement project. Hastings Center Report, 28(1), s1–s17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parens, E. (2005). Authenticity and ambivalence: Toward understanding the enhancement debate. Hastings Center Report, 35(3), 34–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson, I., & Savulescu, J. (2008). The perils of cognitive enhancement and the urgent imperative to enhance the moral character of humanity. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 25(3), 162–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petróczi, A., & Aidman, E. (2008). Psychological drivers in doping: the life-cycle model of performance enhancement. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 3(1). doi:10.1186/1747-597X-3-.

  • Pomeranz, J. L., Barbosa, G., Killian, C., & Austin, S. B. (2014). The dangerous mix of adolescents and dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle building: Legal strategies for state action. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinones, R. L., Winsor, R. D., Patino, A., & Hoffmann, P. (2013). The regulation of dietary supplements within the united states: Flawed attempts at mending a defective consumer safety mechanism. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 47(2), 328–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinert, A., Rohrmann, S., Becker, N., & Linseisen, P. D. J. (2007). Lifestyle and diet in people using dietary supplements. European Journal of Nutrition, 46(3), 165–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie, M. (2007). Use of herbal supplements and nutritional supplements in the UK: What do we know about their pattern of usage? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 66(4), 479–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rotfeld, H. J. (2009). Health information consumers can’t or don’t want to use. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 43(2), 373–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rose, N. (2001). The politics of life itself. Theory, Culture & Society, 18(6), 1–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandel, M. (2004). The case against perfection. The Atlantic Monthly, 293(3), 50–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schermer, M. (2008). On the argument that enhancement is “cheating”. Journal of Medical Ethics, 34(2), 85–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. L. (1984). Good competition and drug-enhanced performance. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 11(1), 6–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. C., & Stewart, B. (2008). Drug policy in sport: Hidden assumptions and inherent contradictions. Drug and Alcohol Review, 27(2), 123–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stibbe, A. (2004). Health and the social construction of masculinity in Men’s Health magazine. Men and Masculinities, 7(1), 31–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. J., & Nichter, M. (2007). The compliance paradox: What we need to know about “real-world” dietary supplement use in the United States. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 13(2), 48–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiggemann, M., & McGill, B. (2004). The role of social comparison in the effect of magazine advertisements on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 23–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WADA. (2015). Anti-Doping Code 2015 (p. 30). Accessed January 5, 2015, from https://wada-main-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/files/wada-2015-world-anti-doping-code.pdf

  • Waddington, I., Malcolm, D., & Green, K. (1997). Sport, health and physical education: A reconsideration. European Physical Education Review, 3(2), 165–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpe, P. R. (2002). Treatment, enhancement, and the ethics of neurotherapeutics. Brain and Cognition, 50(3), 387–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 817B Edwards Street, Chapel Hill, 27516, NC, USA

    Simon Outram

Authors
  1. Simon Outram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom

    Matthew Hall

  2. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Sarah Grogan

  3. Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Brendan Gough

Copyright information

© 2016 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Outram, S. (2016). Body Image, Enhancement, and Health in the Advertising of Sports and Nutritional Supplements. In: Hall, M., Grogan, S., Gough, B. (eds) Chemically Modified Bodies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53535-1_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53535-1_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-53534-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-53535-1

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation